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Today is Day 3 of our St. John Trip, so it was off to Little Lameshur for some big time fun.
After pinging the Board last week about the condition of the road to Lameshur, I was expecting a paved interstate all the way there. The road still has a few unpaved sections that are slightly tricky. I wouldn't try it without some type of 4WD.
When we got to Lameshur, it was beautiful as I remember it.
As usual, I snorkeled to the rock formation in the middle of the bay first. Saw a mondo parrotfish, and the usual Caribbean suspects. That's when I realized that things had changed on St. John. Yesterday, when we snorkeled Hawksnest and the wall at Gibney, things were in pretty good shape - not so at Lameshur. There's a lot of algea at Little Lameshur, and one has to wonder if there really is something to this global warming.
We then snorkeled the left hand of the bay. Saw seargant majors, blue tangs, parrotfish, cutlefish, stingray, puffers, brain corals, sally lightfoot crabs, tons of big urchins including a few pencil urchins, soldier fish, and a nurse shark.
After snorkeling, we sat on the beach and it rained. We got devoured by BUGS. I itch like crazy right now.
I've been uploading some pics and videos to Facebook. You can find me on Facebook.
John From Puyallup
PS, I have a video of the nurse shark and cuttlefish we saw at Lameshur on Facebook and would be happy to share them here, if somebody could tell me how.
Thank you very much for the trip report on Lameshur. I have never been there before so I was wondering with the bugs and algea would it still be worth it for someone that has never been there? As for the videos perhaps you can upload them to YouTube and then just post the link in here?
The sea has been up the last couple of months so there has been lots of sea weed/sargassum weed in some bays.
Is that what you meant about algae or the regular slimy stuff?
I would never advise someone to go down to Lameshur without a 4 WD.
Going down is not so white knuckle bad as it used to be but if it rains before you get to come back up the hill, you may not make it.
Anyway you look at it, it is vastly improved from what it used to be.
Keep an eye out for our little deer in the Mangrove area on the road from the bottom to the beach.
I always see them around that area when i have a chance to get out there. It is my favorite spot.
There's also a trail that goes to Reef Bay from there and to the Petroglyphs - take water, bug spray and wear good shoes.
It's a long walk back and forth so be prepared and don't lug too much stuff.
You can also sign up with NPS for the hike down to Reef Bay, explore the Petroglyphs and the old sugar mill ruins. go for a swim and get a boat ride back. Watch out for fire coral and seas urchins!
Visit the VIERS complex at Lameshure while there and see what they offer.
We've had lots of rain recently so walk with your bug spray. You'll be glad you did!:@)
would it still be worth it for someone that has never been there?
Absolutely! Little Lameshur is awesome! Make sure you go, it's a different experience from a North Shore Beach.
The sea has been up the last couple of months so there has been lots of sea weed/sargassum weed in some bays.
Is that what you meant about algae or the regular slimy stuff?
Alana33
You're right about the sees being up. It has been rougher snorkeling that usual. The first day we snorkeled from Hawksnest accross Gibney Beach and to the wall on the right hand side of Gibney (I believe that's Peace Hill). One of my group got seasick and had to turn back.
Yesterday we snorkeled Waterlemon and their were 2 to 3 foot rollers between the mainland and the cay.
Today, we did Maho and Trunk. Waves were crashing on Trunk and the outside edge of Trunk Cay was rough.
As for the algea, it seemed like there was more algae than normal on the rocks and corals.
